Euro Pacific Bank

Qenta Welcome Letter

Published: September 8, 2022

Dear valued customer,

On behalf of Qenta Inc., welcome to our family. We know this has been a difficult time and look forward to a brighter future together. In this letter, we want to share who we are, why we are excited for you to join us, and invite you to our Virtual Customer Townhall on Wednesday September 14, 2022, at 8am Eastern Standard Time to directly answer any questions you may have.

After September 29, 2022, remaining customer assets will be held by Qenta subsidiaries but you will have full and ongoing access to your deposits, precious metals holdings, mutual funds and brokerage accounts. Qenta is not a bank; however, it has subsidiaries that are licensed by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, which allows Qenta to trade precious metals for its clients. Qenta will facilitate payments in multiple currencies, and over the next year upgrade its card offering.

To ease the transition, a number of your former bank’s staff will also be joining our team.

About Qenta

Qenta is a global financial technology firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, with a vision to lead the world to a frictionless and democratized ecosystem. Towards this end, we offer to our customers savings products such as Responsible Gold, wallets, payment solutions for merchants, and commodities hedging and financing products. We operate in 17 countries around the world with a team of over ~200 people.

Our group Chairman and CEO, Brent de Jong, started working with banks in 1997 to provide financing and restructuring advice globally while at J.P. Morgan. He has since achieved a solid track record of building teams and transforming businesses with the core principle of customer satisfaction.

Our Managing Director, Mariame McIntosh, has worked in the financial services industry for two decades and, prior to joining Qenta, was the CEO of a commercial bank for over 6 years. Her success at the bank was driven by a relentless focus on customer experience.

Our Mission

Qenta is a purpose-driven business with a committed, experienced team and it is our hope that you can get to know more of our team members in the coming months.
We also hope that you will give us the chance to serve you as we believe the benefits of joining the Qenta family are:

1. Safe and secure custody of your assets;
2. Access to innovative digital products to meet your needs;
3. Our commitment to the highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

For more information about the company, please visit our website at www.qenta.com.


Qenta 1st Virtual Customer Townhall

We look forward to meeting you during our first global Virtual Customer Townhall where you will be able to share thoughts and feedback, as well as ask any clarifying questions directly to the senior leadership team at Qenta.

Time: Sep 14, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Hosted by: Brent de Jong, Chairman and CEO; and Mariame McIntosh, Managing Director of Qenta Inc.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/92905617682?pwd=a0FNY1dHaGZUM1VOK1o5VkdwOHR1dz09
Meeting ID: 929 0561 7682
Passcode: UXs9jh

Click here to add the event to your calendar:


If Qenta is not meeting your needs, you can transfer your funds to another organization at any time and through the usual means.

Sincerely,

Brent De Jong
Chairman & CEO, Qenta Inc.

Mariame McIntosh
Managing Director, Qenta Inc.

Bank Liquidation Update: September 2, 2022

Published: September 2, 2022

As stated in the official Notice of Liquidation on Monday, August 29th, Euro Pacific Bank was required to proceed with its liquidation and allow clients to request withdrawals inside their eBanking. We also disclosed the existence of a financial services company interested in continuing to serve any clients that remain.

Today, we would like to provide an update on both topics.

Operational Delays

Euro Pacific Bank began allowing clients to submit transfer requests in their eBanking on Monday, August 29th. Unfortunately, those transfer requests are currently being held by our correspondent bank, who has requested written confirmation from the bank’s government-appointed receiver that we are authorized to proceed with your wire transfer(s).

However, the receiver will not provide our correspondent bank with that written confirmation until the Puerto Rico financial regulator (OCIF) authorizes him to. In other words, our correspondent bank will not process any of our wire transfer requests until OCIF provides authorization.

We understand this situation may be frustrating for some of you, especially after patiently waiting. However, the bank is in receivership and has been under the control of OCIF, so transactions can take much longer to process than it did before.

As stated in our Monday notice, clients can still request transactions and they will be processed as soon as we’re allowed to. Thanks for your continued patience through this process and we will continue to update you on this step.

Brokerage Accounts

Similarly, if you currently have a Euro Pacific Trader brokerage account and are awaiting the transfer of your positions to your new Interactive Brokers account, we have also been asked to get written authorization from our receiver before any of our transfer requests can be processed.

Account Migration

As you may recall in our Notice of Liquidation, a financial services company has made an offer to continue serving our customers, which includes bank deposits, precious metals, mutual funds, and brokerage accounts. Understandably, an important part of your consideration to be migrated to this new institution is who they are and what they do.

We have received authorization to disclose the company’s details, so you can expect to receive a welcome letter from this company within a few days. A copy of their welcome letter will be published here on our website. They also plan to conduct a “Virtual Customer Townhall” within the next two weeks to introduce their senior leadership team and answer your questions.

Commencement of Bank Liquidation

Published: August 29, 2022

Dear Euro Pacific Bank customer,

We write to inform you that, although Euro Pacific Bank is now in liquidation pursuant to a Consent Order for Liquidation and Dissolution of International Financial Entity entered into with the Puerto Rico Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (“OCIF”), we can now provide you with a positive update on an easy path forward.

Account Migration

Since Euro Pacific Bank will be closing its business operations in Puerto Rico permanently and irrevocably, we are in advanced conversations to arrange for the transfer of all customer deposits, cash and physical precious metals, as well as ownership of the bank’s four wholly owned subsidiaries, which includes the broker dealer where many customers maintain linked brokerage accounts, to a global financial services technology company headquartered in the United States with an experienced management team and solid track record.

The four subsidiaries of the bank will be owned directly by that company. The bank’s currency and precious metals deposits will be held by its wholly owned subsidiary operating in Dubai. From your account there you will be able to send and receive third party payments in multiple currencies, including U.S. dollars and utilize a debit card to access your deposits.

Once your funds are transferred, they will be immediately available to spend or withdraw. If the acquiring financial institution does not meet your needs, you can transfer your balance to an alternative financial institution.

Migration Opt Out

If you prefer, you may have your deposits wired to an alternative financial institution of your choosing. To initiate this process, you must log into eBanking and request an outgoing wire transfer to an account with the same beneficial ownership as your Euro Pacific account.

You have thirty (30) days from the date of this notice to complete the outgoing wire request for processing.

Reminders:

  • U.S. dollars must be converted to another currency the bank supports to be wired out.
  • If you do not want your gold and silver holdings to be under new ownership, you must sell them, as the bank cannot deliver out metal.
  • If you do not want your brokerage account to be under new ownership, you must liquidate your holdings, including in the bank’s proprietary mutual funds, and transfer any proceeds to your bank account so those amounts can be included in the wire.

We appreciate the confidence you have placed in us over the years and your continued support of our bank throughout this process. Our customers have always been our priority and you continue to be our priority throughout this liquidation process.

Sincerely,

Euro Pacific Bank Management

Brokerage Migration Update: August 18, 2022

Summary

As you may recall, if you currently have a Euro Pacific Trader brokerage account at Interactive Brokers (IBKR), IBKR requested that all clients either open new (retail) Interactive Brokers accounts to continue trading.

This is the result of IBKR ending their Non-Disclosed Broker program last year, which Euro Pacific Securities was a part of.

As of June 28, 2022, IBKR has set all existing brokerage accounts to “liquidation only”, which means you’re able to place sell orders and close positions, but you won’t be able to place any buy orders.

Next Steps

1. If you are still completing your new IBKR account application, please continue with that process until the account is activated.

2. If your new IBKR account is already activated, we are currently waiting for guidance from the Puerto Rico regulator (OCIF) on when we can allow IBKR to transfer assets (cash and stock positions) from your existing account to the newly activated account.

Unfortunately we don’t know when OCIF will let us proceed, but there has been some progress on the bank suspension, which is the source of this delay.

3. If you opted out of the migration and therefore are not opening a new Interactive Brokers account and are waiting to transfer your brokerage cash balances back to your EPB bank account, you will be able to do that as soon as EPB receives approval from OCIF to continue processing transactions.

4. If you were not provided a new IBKR account username and password, you likely did not qualify to migrate with Euro Pacific Securities to our new “Fully-Disclosed Broker” relationship, and need to open a regular IBKR retail account, as described here.

If you are uncertain if you fall into this category or have any general inquiries, please contact Trading Support at [email protected].

Thanks for your continued patience as always through this regulatory process.

Bank Operations Update: August 1, 2022

Prior to the suspension, Euro Pacific Bank was in the process of being acquired by a larger financial institution. Instead of allowing the sale, regulators placed the bank into receivership. Further, despite multiple offers to buy the bank, regulators have decided that the bank must be liquidated.

As a result, we proposed a plan to allow customers a period to withdraw their funds, or allow their funds to be transferred to another bank outside of Puerto Rico. We have already selected a bank that we think is best positioned to offer excellent services to our customers.

Unfortunately, we are still waiting for approval from the Puerto Rico Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF), and it’s taking a lot longer than we expected for them to complete this process.

We understand many of you are looking for a clearer timeline. At the same time, we are required to follow the financial regulatory authority’s lead. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.

Summary:

  • The Puerto Rico financial regulator in late-June requested that Euro Pacific Bank pause its operations. In response, we complied by pausing all transactions to review the details of their request. In the meantime, a trustee has been appointed to administer the standard affairs of the bank to assure safekeeping and preservation of funds.
  • After the regulatory hearing scheduled on July 14th, Euro Pacific Bank and the Puerto Rico financial regulator entered negotiations for the continuation of bank operations.
  • We can confirm that we are now in advanced discussions with the regulator, and we will share with you results as soon as it is permitted.
  • As usual, Euro Pacific Bank maintains a full-reserve ratio, meaning we make no loans and keep all client deposits on-demand.

Bank Operations Update: July 25, 2022

As you may be aware, after the regulatory hearing scheduled on July 14th, Euro Pacific Bank and the Puerto Rico financial regulator entered negotiations for the continuation of bank operations.

We can confirm that we are now in advanced discussions with the regulator, and we will share with you results as soon as it is permitted.

Again, if you are not aware, the Puerto Rico financial regulator recently requested that Euro Pacific Bank pause its operations. In response, we complied by pausing all transactions to review the details of their request. In the meantime, a trustee has been appointed to administer the standard affairs of the bank to assure safekeeping and preservation of funds.

We appreciate your patience through this process, and as usual, Euro Pacific Bank maintains a full-reserve ratio, meaning we make no loans and keep all client deposits on-demand.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

What is the GDPR?

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) comes into force across the European Union on May 25, 2018 and brings with it the most significant changes to data protection law in two decades. The primary goal of these changes is protection of personal data and rights, while meeting the requirements of the digital age.

The 21st century brings with it, the broad use of technology, new definitions of what constitutes personal data, and a vast increase in cross-border processing. The new Regulation aims to standardize data protection laws and processing of personal data, affording individuals stronger, more consistent rights to access and control their personal information.

Our Commitment

Euro Pacific Bank (EPB) (‘we’ or ‘us’ or ‘our’) is fully committed to upholding the privacy and rights of our customers, including:

  • Ensuring the security and protection of personal information that we process
  • Providing a compliant and consistent approach to data protection
  • Developing a data protection regime that is effective, fit for purpose, and demonstrates an understanding of, and appreciation for the new Regulation

We have always had a robust and effective data protection framework in place which complies with existing law and abides by the data protection principles. However, we recognize the requirement and importance of updating and expanding this program to meet the demands of the GDPR and the UK’s Data Protection Bill.

Our preparation plans for the GDPR have been summarized in this statement and includes the development and implementation of new data protection roles, policies, procedures, controls and measures to ensure maximum compliance at all times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the GDPR come into force?
The GDPR comes into force across the EU on the 25th May 2018 where it will replace the current data protection rules in each EU country.

What information does the GDPR apply to?
The GDPR applies to ‘personal data’, which means any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified in particular by reference to a specific data point (ex. name, ID number, etc.).

Does the GDPR only apply to EU organizations?
The GDPR applies to processing carried out by organizations operating within the EU. It also applies to organizations outside the EU that offer goods or services to individuals in the EU.

Who does the GDPR apply to?
The GDPR applies to ‘controllers’ ‘joint controllers’ and ‘processors’ of personal data. A controller determines the purposes and means of processing personal data (see Article 24 of GDPR). A joint controller shares pre-agreed responsibilities with another controller (see Article 26 of GDPR). A processor is responsible for processing personal data on behalf of a controller (see Article 28 of GDPR).

How is processing defined?
The GDPR definition of ‘processing’ means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

Will Consent be covered in the Terms & Conditions?
No, it is no longer satisfactory to have consent bundled into another document or agreement. It needs to be explicit and unambiguous, and recordable.

What data protection policies and procedures are required under GDPR?
The key data protection policies and procedures under GDPR include:

  • Data Protection Policy
  • Subject Access Request Policy
  • Breach Management Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Data Retention Policies
  • IT Policy (usage of IT equipment)

Where can I find the EPB Privacy Policy?
The EPB Privacy Policy can be found on our website along with our Cookies Policy for the EPB website use.

Common Reporting Standard (CRS)

The Common Reporting Standard (CRS), calls on countries to obtain information from their financial institutions and exchange that information with other countries automatically on an annual basis. The CRS sets out the financial account information to be exchanged, the financial institutions required to report, the different types of accounts and taxpayers covered, as well as common due diligence procedures to be followed by financial institutions.

Euro Pacific Bank and its subsidiaries have the obligation to comply with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Common Reporting Standard (CRS).

To whom is the information reported:

  • For accounts held by Euro Pacific Securities, Inc. (Global Trading), the required information will be reported to Financial Services Commission (FSC) of the British Virgin Islands.
  • For accounts held by Euro Pacific Intl. Bank Inc., there is no reporting since the United States and Puerto Rico are non-participating jurisdictions.

When will reporting take place and for what timeframe:

  • For accounts held by Euro Pacific Securities, Inc. (Global Trading), the information will be reported for the first time in May 2018 for new accounts opened in the period of November 20th to December 30th 2017

For further information on the Common Reporting Standard you may access the OECD informative website at http://www.oecd.org/tax/automatic-exchange/common-reporting-standard

What is an economic purpose?

An economic purpose is the original reason for your incoming or outgoing payment:

  • What product or service did the sender buy from you?
  • What product or service did you buy from the beneficiary?

As a licensed financial institution, we are required to know the economic purposes of the payments and/or attain any supporting documentation verifying these purposes, in order to comply with international anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.

A vague or incomplete description of your payment may result in delay or cancellation.

LAST UPDATED: APRIL 16, 2024

August 29, 2022: Euro Pacific Bank liquidation has commenced. Please read our formal instructions here as it is time-sensitive.

September 2, 2022: Update on pending transactions, brokerage, and account migration.

September 8, 2022: Qenta has emailed a welcome letter to all EPB clients. You can read a copy of it here.

September 16, 2022: Update on pending transactions for clients opting out of Qenta Inc. migration.

September 28, 2022: Update on pending transactions for clients opting out of Qenta Inc. migration.

September 30, 2022: Update on bank liquidation, pending transactions, and migration of assets to Qenta Inc.

October 8, 2022: Update on opt-out deadline for EPB clients who do not wish to migrate their account to Qenta Inc..

October 14, 2022: Customer Update & Townhall.

October 21, 2022: Update on Opt-out deadline - Extended.

November 01, 2022: Mutual funds & outgoing wire requests update.

December 05, 2022: Migration & liquidation update.

December 16, 2022: Comprehensive FAQ is published.

January 27, 2023: Correspondent bank update.

March 8, 2023: Migration & liquidation update.

March 31, 2023: Migration & liquidation update.

April 20, 2023: Liquidation update- Action required.

May 05, 2023: Migration & Liquidation update.

May 31, 2023: Migration & Liquidation update.

June 17, 2023: Receiver's report.

June 23, 2023: Migration & Liquidation update.

July 20, 2023: Migration & Liquidation update.

September 01, 2023: Migration & Liquidation update.

September 22, 2023: Report & Communication Portal.

September 22, 2023: Report & Communication Portal.

November 20, 2023: Progress Report (Opt-out Only).

November 21, 2023: Migration Update (Opt-in Only).

February 02, 2024: Migration & Liquidation update.

February 19, 2024: Migration & Liquidation update.

March 03, 2024: Migration & Liquidation update.

March 11, 2024: Receiver's Reports.

April 13, 2024: Migration & Liquidation update.

April 16, 2024: Receiver's Reports.